Crimping device



Dec. 13, 1960 I G. POEHLMANN CRIMPING DEVICE Filed Nov. 22. 1957 in ICRIMPING DEVICE George Poehlmann, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor toWestern Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York Filed Nov. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 698,161

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-21) This invention relates to crimping ormetal-forming devices, and more particularly to a crimping deviceemploying a pair of rollers for simultaneously crimping two spaced rowsof prongs extending from a switch assembly.

In the manufacture of one type of electrical switch, the componentsthereof are assembled and retained by means of two rows of spaced prongsor lugs extending from certain of the components over the othercomponents. In order to facilitate the assembly of the switch, it isdesired that a simple device be provided for simultaneously applyingoppositely directed bending forces to both rows of prongs whereby theprongs will be bent toward each other to complete the assembly of theswitch.

It is a prime object of this invention to provide a simple device forapplying uniform bending forces to a plurality of elements extendingfrom an article to be assembled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pair of crimpingrollers that function to simultaneously crimp prongs extending fromdiverse locations on a group of components to be assembled.

Another object of the invention resides in the use of slotted blocks forguiding a pair of crimping rollers to simultaneously bend two spacedrows of prongs toward each other.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplatesa base and a group of springs mounted thereon to support an actuator barin an elevated position. Depending from the bar is a pair of blockshaving inverted V-shaped slots formed therein to receive and guide apair of crimping or forming rollers. A resiliently urged member holdsthe rollers at the lower extremities of the slots. When a switchassembly having two spaced rows of prongs to be cn'mped is placed on thebase and the actuator bar is manually depressed, the pair of rollerswill engage the prongs and exert bending forces thereon as the rollersride along the slots toward each other to simultaneously crimp theopposing rows of prongs toward each other.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevationalview of a roller type crimping device embodying the principal featuresof the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the crimping device partially cut awayalong line 2-2 of Fig. l to particularly illustrate the construction ofguide members;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1 depictingcrimping rollers in an elevated position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but depicting the crimping rollers ina down or crimping position, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a switch having prongs crimped over bythe device shown in the other views.

Referring first to Fig. 5, there is shown a switch assembly cn'mped bythe apparatus of the present invention. It will be noted that there arefour prongs 11, 12, 13 and 14 extending up from a bracket component 16which have ice been crimped over to secure a component 17 in position. Aswitch assembly 10 having uncrimped prongs is loaded in a work holder 18(Fig. 1) so that a slide button 20 thereon extends within a slot 21formed in the work holder 18. The work holder 18 is slidably moved alonga base 19 between guide bars 22 and 23 into engagement with a stop 24extending from the base 19. A set of four springs 26 positioned on thebase 19 provides support for an elongated rectangular shaped actuatorbar 27. Secured to and extending from the underside of the bar 27 arefour stud rods 28 adapted to be positioned within the four springs 26 sothat when the actuator bar is depressed the stud rods will engage thebase 19 and limit downward movement of the bar 27. These rods 28 alsofunction to preclude buckling of the springs 26. A pair of blocks 29 and31 are also secured to the underside of the bar 27 and each has formedtherein an inverted V- or heartshaped slot 32 (see Figs. 3 and 4).Positioned within the slots 32 are two hardened steel crimping rollers33 and 34.

In order to insure rectilinear movement of the blocks 29 and 31 when apressing force is applied to the bar 26, guide facilities are provided.These guide facilities incude cut-out sections 36 and 37 formed in theblocks 29 and 31 that accommodate therein a pair of complementary guidemembers 38 and 39 secured and extending upwardly from the base 19.Spanning and constantly engaging the rollers 33 and 34 is a holding bar41 that is continuously urged downwardly by a pair of compressed springs42 and 43 interposed between the bar 27 and the bar 41.

In operation of the crimping device, a switch assembly 10 havinguncrimped prongs 1114 is loaded on the work holder so that the button 20is positioned within the slot 21. The work holder is moved between theguide bars 22 and 23 into engagement with the stop 24 therebypositioning the prongs 1114 to be engaged by rollers 33 and 34.

A depressing force which may be either manual or power derived isapplied to the bar 27 whereupon the bar 27 and the blocks 29 and 31 movedownwardly. The rollers 33 and 34 being continuously urged toward thebottom of the extremities of the V-shaped slots 32 engage the prongs andapply bending forces thereto. The further the bar 27 is depressed thegreater will be the compression of the springs 42 and 43 so thatcontinuously increas ing bending forces will be applied to the prongs.The rollers 33 and 34 will move upwardly and toward each other in theslots 32 thereby applying forces to laterally bend the prongs 11-14toward each other and eventually over the component 17.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements ofapparatus and construction of elemental parts are simply illustrative ofan application of the principles of the invention and many othermodifications may be made without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a metal lug-crimping device, an actuator bar, resilient means forsupporting the bar in an elevated position, a pair of blocks secured toand extending downwardly from the bar, said blocks having invertedheartshaped slots formed therein, a pair of metal-forming rollersmounted in the slots, and means for urging said rollers into theextremities of the slots.

2. A crimping device comprising a base for receiving an article to becrimped, a bar, resilent means for supporting the bar in spacedrelationship with respect to the base, a pair of parallelly spacedblocks secured to and extending from the bar toward the base, each ofsaid blocks having an inverted heart-shaped slot formed therein, a pairof crimping rollers positioned within the slots, a holding memberspanning said rollers, and resilient means interposed between theholding member and the formed ther'ei-nga pair 1 of rollers positionedinth'e lower 997,709 extremities of the curved and upwardlycusping-surfaces 2,326,656 of the-slots, means for transferring adp'ressing force 2,409,147

applied at the bar to the roll'ers whereby the" ro1lers-act- 102,882,952 against a work piece to move up and alo ng the 'cusping UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Serry July 11, Johnson Aug. 10, Neuhaus' et -al; Oct. 8,lohnson n; Apr: 21,

surfaces toward each other to accomplish a crimping action, and meansfor restoring the rollers to the initial position upon removal of thedepressing force.

References Cited in the file of this patent

